Visitors looking for a top quality tourist attraction this Summer, need look no further than Portsmouth Historic Dockyard as it has just been awarded Visit England’s accreditation of ‘Quality Assured Visitor Attraction’.
Related: Attractions News: Blooloop Facts Round Up May & June 2011
The assessment was carried out earlier in the year under the current guidelines of the Visitor Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS) and was deemed to fully merit the award.
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard was noted “to offer visitors of all ages and interests an overall high quality experience”, with “many aspects of the attraction being excellent, such as HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and the Mary Rose Museum”.
The Visit England quality plaque for attractions is recognised as a stamp of approval. Visitors to England can be assured that if they see the organisation’s red rose logo outside an attraction it has been annually assessed by an independent assessor.
The Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS) is managed by VisitEngland and, through its network of regional assessors, boasts an incredible reputation for instigating, modifying and shaping change to the customer experience at visitor attractions across England.
The Historic Dockyard was assessed on the entire customer journey from pre-arrival telephone contact, website and promotional material, to a mystery visit detailing everything from the initial welcome through to guided tours and key areas such as toilets, catering and retail, plus enticement to return via event promotion.
Jacquie Shaw, Head of Communications and Operations at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard commented: “It’s a vote of confidence for us to be awarded the VAQAS stamp of approval and reassures visitors to expect the best. It also highlights the incredibly talented and hardworking staff we have and of course the world beating attractions we showcase.”
The accreditation follows on from the recent Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) Museum Accreditation Scheme award for HMS Warrior 1860, joining with other attractions on site to have the award – the Mary Rose Museum and the National Museum of the Royal Navy.
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is proving its status as one of the South of England’s best visitor destinations offering a complete maritime experience, all year round.
Visitors can discover history at the home of world-famous ships, HMS Victory and HMS Warrior 1860; walk through fascinating exhibitions at the Mary Rose Museum and the National Museum of the Royal Navy; test skills at the interactive Action Stations and take a Harbour Tours boat trip around Portsmouth Harbour and Naval Base. Whether interested in naval, military, industrial or social history, architecture, culture, or just a way to keep the kids occupied, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is an ideal destination.
www.historicdockyard.co.uk
